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Melbourne’s premiership defence was dealt a savage double blow last night with Test stars Cameron Smith and Ryan Hoffman to miss the rest of the season.
Smith was banned two games by the NRL judiciary for a grapple tackle while second-rower Hoffman had ankle surgery which also ruled him out of Australia’s World Cup campaign next month.
Smith was rubbed out of Friday’s crucial preliminary final with Cronulla and possibly next week’s grand final after becoming just the third player to be found guilty at the judiciary of unnecessary contact with the head or neck of a player.
If the Storm lose to the Sharks, then Smith will miss Australia’s opening World Cup clash with New Zealand on October 26.
The grapple tackle is seen as a cancer in the game but it has been notoriously tough to prove at a judiciary hearing with just two of eight guilty verdicts returned since 2005.
But last night’s verdict, which costs the game’s highest-profile player a chance to play in two crucial games, will be seen by many as the first real blow in the NRL’s fight to eradicate the wrestling technique from the game.
The panel of Royce Ayliffe, Darrell Williams and Darren Britt took just 17 minutes to return their ruling and it left Smith a shattered and forlorn figure.
“Obviously, I think I had a fair hearing tonight. I’m very disappointed with the outcome,” Smith said.
“I still feel when I play the game, the game that I love, I play with the utmost integrity.”
The loss of Smith, in particular, is a huge body blow to the Storm as he is not only the competition’s best hooker but also Melbourne’s goalkicker.
Coach Craig Bellamy is likely to either thrust retiring veteran Matt Geyer or electric fullback Billy Slater into the dummy-half role against Cronulla with Russ Aitken the man most likely to join the squad.
Leading bookmakers reacted quickly to tonight’s judiciary result, with Manly wrestling premiership favouritism from the Storm.
The Test hooker’s ban prompted both Lasseters Sportsbook and TAB Sportsbet to install the Sea Eagles as the new title favourites at $2.40 ahead of the Storm, who have drifted from odds-on after their preliminary final win over the Broncos to $2.60 shots.
The Sharks are third favourites at $6 and the New Zealand Warriors, who play Manly on Saturday night the outsiders.
“I guess Manly must be sitting back rubbing their hands together,” Lasseters spokesman Gerard Daffy said.
Melbourne’s New Zealand Test forward Jeremy Smith is also out this week after yesterday accepting a one-game ban for a chicken wing offence in the same tackle on Brisbane’s Sam Thaiday as his namesake.
Cameron Smith admitted to the panel tonight that he made contact with Thaiday’s chin but claimed it was unintentional and came about because the Bronco deliberately tried to fall to the ground.
“Sam is a known surrenderer,” said Smith.
“I was trying to get some momentum and get him on his back.”
Smith said he never realised his hand was on Thaiday’s neck until he turned sideways in the tackle at which stage he “immediately released” his grip.
“The whole tackle took three seconds. Contact with his face was one second at most, if not less,” Smith told the panel.
“It is hard to rectify faster than that, I think.”
Although when asked by prosecutor Peter Kite “you were pulling him by his head”, Smith replied: “That’s right.”
Kite also claimed Smith made two efforts to “yank” Thaiday’s head before he eventually released his dangerous grip.
“There is conduct here that should have been avoided that was not avoided,” said Kite.
It is the second grapple tackle charge against Smith this year and the ninth against a Storm player in four years.
Smith’s guilty plea to a grade one charge in the first round of 2008 left him with 93 carryover points which ensured last night’s verdict resulted in a two-game ban instead of just one.
FACTBOX ON NRL JUDICIARY RULINGS ON GRAPPLE TACKLE CHARGES
NOT GUILTY AT PANEL
Nathan Hindmarsh (Par) Grade one head contact – Round 16, 2005
Beau Scott (Cro) Grade two head contact – Round 22, 2005
Ian Donnelly (GC) Grade one head contact – Round 19, 2007
Liam Fulton (WT) Grade one head contact – Round 23, 2007
Dean Widders (SS) Grade two head pressure – Round 23, 2007
Todd Payten (WT) Grade two head pressure – Round 1, 2008GUILTY AT PANEL
Ryan Hoffman (Mel) Grade three head contact – Round 16, 2005 – Two week ban
Jason Ryles (StGI) Grade one head contact – Round 23, 2007 – Two week ban
Cameron Smith (Mel) Grade one head contact – Semi-final, 2008 – Two week banGRAPPLE TACKLE SUMMARY (2005-2008)
29 grapple tackle charges
20 early guilty pleas
6 found not guilty at panel
3 found guilty at panel
13 weeks total suspensions(Source: David Middleton, League Information Services)
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